Student Profile: Mas Jackson Sany

I, like most boys of a young age, had a fascination for Martial Arts movies from early elementary school onwards; so I decided to pursue it as an alternative to team sports (which I was not a fan of). Unfortunately, my 9 year old attention span began to wane as I previewed Kendo and TaeKwonDo and was disillusioned! The amount of discipline and effort needed to stay engaged was much more than the average, badly dubbed Jackie Chan flick! My last act before I gave up the search was to take a class in a Martial Art I had never heard of before: Poekoelan. From the very moment I walked into the Studio, I felt a distinct difference in the teachers and students. I picked up on a strong, playful energy that encompassed me immediately in our animal warmups at the very start of class. Those warmups alone showed me just how unique Poekoelan is compared to all other Martial Arts I had observed and trained. The Poekoelan phrase “Nothing you can do is wrong” comes to mind, a mantra that I first heard in that very class and I pass on to my own students today.

My teachers through the ranks were wonderful and man, did they make us work! From the antics of Pendekkar Kyle’s unpredictable classes to the energizing techniques taught by Mas Goeroe Agoeng Janesa, I always found I was being challenged and protected at all times. One thing that I will always find amazing is the sheer volume and spectrum of Poekoelan’s teachings! Within a few years of training, I knew how to defend myself physically and mentally, how to heal myself when injured, and I even found myself never hurting myself when I fell! Poekoelan was literally in my bones at that point, muscle and mental memory protecting me in every facet of life.

8 years later, I’ve made it to Second Degree Black Belt (quite a bit further than I even imagined I could make it) and absolutely adore the duties and knowledge I hold. I teach kids of a rainbow of ranks and go to my own classes to enhance my knowledge of Poekoelan on alternating days of the week. I love to continue expanding my repertoire and seeing the people here at the Studio who have become my beloved second family. If I ever was going through a rough point in my life, my Teachers and Teammates gave me all the support I needed to come out of any experience stronger than I went in. This strength of resolve was able to carry me to the upper ranks of Poekoelan and to become an active teacher in our family, to give my thanks for Poekoelan making me who I am today. As I advanced in the ranks to make it to the present, Poekoelan became more and more a part of my life and a large portion of my personality. I am proud to call myself an avid Poekoelan Practitioner and I have no intent of stopping here, there is always more to learn.